Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, is currently suffering financially after suffering his first loss of the season against the Buffalo Bills.
On November 23, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero revealed that Mahomes was penalized by the league for a gesture he made during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 31–20 loss to the Bills.
In a post on X, Pelissero reported, “The NFL has fined #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes $14,069 for unsportsmanlike conduct due to a violent gesture made while celebrating a touchdown pass last week in Buffalo.”
Two other players received fines from the NFL for the game last week, so Mahomes wasn’t the only guy punished.
The League Is Stricter About “Violent Gesture” Behavior
When Mahomes threw a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to trim Buffalo’s lead to 23-21, he seemed to make a gun-shooting gesture. Mike Jones of The Athletic pointed out that the league is cracking down on gun and other violent gestures this season and warned players of the impending crackdown.
Players are told year that such gestures will result in sanctions and fines, according to a high-ranking league employee who spoke on condition of anonymity because he did not want to comment on any particular incident, Jones wrote. Every year, the league gives players a film that teaches them what kinds of celebrations are appropriate and inappropriate. Every player receives an NFL rulebook each year, which also forbids any salutes using guns.
According to Jones, the NCAA is following the NFL’s example and punishing players who celebrate with gun motions, following in the footsteps of several other players who have received fines for doing so.
Mahomes has previously been hit with a fine following a loss to the Bills. Following the loss in December of last year, the Chiefs quarterback received a $50,000 punishment for his criticism of officials. Mahomes yelled at officials and voiced more anger after the game because he was furious that the Chiefs were flagged for lining up offside on what would have been the game-winning touchdown.
Later in the season, Mahomes acknowledged his guilt and said he had to pay the fine imposed by the league.
“There will be repercussions for my outbursts on the sideline, which everyone witnessed during a major game,” Mahomes stated, as reported by ESPN. “You simply need to accept the consequences, grow from them, and not try to allow that to happen again. However, we only kept things going.
There are fines for two other players.
According to Buffalo’s WGRZ, Mahomes was not the only player punished for the game on Sunday. Following a hip-drop tackle on running back Carson Steele in the fourth quarter, defensive end A.J. Epenesa of the Bills was also fined $15,400 for needless roughness.
Epenesa’s tackle was not reported. The celebration that cost Mahomes came after the Chiefs scored a touchdown on the drive.
Additionally, Chris Jones, a defensive tackle for the Chiefs, received a $11,255 punishment for snatching a facemask.
With the victory over the Chiefs, the Bills improved to 9-2 and entered the bye week with the greatest 10-game record in almost 30 years.
The Tennessee Titans’ victory over the Texans is a major gift to the Buffalo Bills.
For the Buffalo Bills, who got to enjoy the week off from NFL activity, Sunday was dull but stress-free. The Bills have a commanding 9-2 record and are far ahead of the Dolphins, Jets, and Patriots in the AFC East after snapping the Kansas City Chiefs’ winning run in Week 11. Currently, they are competing for the AFC’s top seed.
Even while the week off is being enjoyed, it is still crucial to observe the results of the numerous games against other AFC opponents. Buffalo is in a strong position, but they should also be hopeful that teams like the Chiefs, Texans, Ravens, and Steelers will lose because they are still vying for the conference’s top spot.
The Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans game outcome is one that the Bills may be pleased with. After Tennessee’s defense produced a huge safety sack against C.J. Stroud in less than two minutes, Will Levis and the struggling Titans traveled to Houston and pulled off a dramatic shock, upsetting the Texans 32-27 in an AFC South matchup in Texas.
Houston drops to 7-5 on the season after losing this game. The Texans, who had a 5-1 start, suddenly appear to be in disarray.
When the Texans lose to the Titans, Buffalo receives a significant present.
Houston’s loss to the Titans this week further distances them from Buffalo, as the Texans hold the tiebreaker over the Bills after defeating Buffalo in Week 5. The Bills and Texans are separated in the standings by the Steelers, Chargers, and Ravens, thus it will be crucial for Buffalo to avoid having the same record as the Texans.
The Ravens, who also have the tiebreaker edge over Buffalo, are another team the Bills must watch out for in order to avoid finishing with the same record as the Texans. In any case, after Week 12, the Bills will still be at least one game ahead of both Houston and Baltimore.
